Great White Plans Club Benefit Tour

ANTHONY BREZNICAN

Published 7:00 pm, Tuesday, April 29, 2003

AP Entertainment Writer

Two members of the rock band Great White, on the night of their first public appearance since a fire killed 99 people at their concert in Rhode Island, announced plans for a nationwide tour to raise money for victims' families.

Attorney Ed McPherson, who represents the group, said Tuesday that Great White would perform with other rock bands and donate their percentage of the profits to existing charities in Rhode Island.

"Their thoughts from the beginning have been, `What are we going to do to help the victims?' And the only thing they do is perform." McPherson said.

Plans for the tour were being worked out, McPherson said, but he added that two groups that may take part are Warrant and LA Guns.

The attorney made the announcement outside West Hollywood's Key Club, before the first public performance by Great White guitarist Mark Kendall and lead singer Jack Russell since the deadly Feb. 20 fire at The Station in West Warwick, R.I. Investigators suspect the band's pyrotechnics ignited foam that had been placed on the club's walls for soundproofing. A grand jury is investigating.

Along with several other Los Angeles rock bands, the pair agreed to perform in honor of Great White guitarist Ty Longley, who died in the fire. Concert organizers said proceeds would be donated to a charity supervised by Longley's family and earmarked for a scholarship assistance program and trust fund for the 31-year-old musician's unborn child.

After reaching a career peak in 1990 with a cover of the Ian Hunter song "Once Bitten, Twice Shy," Great White has performed mainly as a nostalgia act at smaller venues.

In addition to founding members Kendall and Russell, its current lineup includes bass player Dave Filice and drummer Eric Powers.

Hours before the Great White members were to perform, about 100 ticket holders, flanked by nearly a dozen reporters and photographers, milled about the club. Most said they came to honor the memory of friends who died in the blaze.

Justin Fredericksen, 24, of San Diego wore a T-shirt that read: "Rock On Ty." Fredericksen, who said Longley was his stepbrother, added that he wanted to keep the guitarist's memory alive.

Duane Serfass, 30, of San Francisco handed out badges with a photo of his friend Jeff Rader, who he said escaped the club fire but died when he went back in to try to rescue his girlfriend.

"I just want to make sure that my friend is recognized," Serfass said.